Continuous Improvement

Continuous Improvement

“My heart brims over with a desire to help make all the children born upon this earth fine human beings, happy people, people of superior ability. My whole life and energies [are] devoted to this end. This is because of my discovery that every child, without exception, is born with this possibility.” – Shinichi Suzuki

Reporting Information

3-YEAR EDUCATION PLAN

3-Year Education Plan includes plans to achieve our mandate goals and provincial goals including specific targets using current formal and informal research.

Reflects community consultation including Board members, School Council members, Staff members and feedback from Student Representatives.

Charter Goal: Students demonstrate musical excellence

Charter Outcome One: Students demonstrate cognitive music skills

Charter Outcome Two: Students demonstrate instrument-playing skills

Charter Outcome Three: Students demonstrate ensemble skills

Charter Outcome Four: Students demonstrate personal excellence skills that support music study

Provincial Outcomes:

Outcome One: Alberta’s students are successful

Outcome Two: The achievement gap between First Nations, Metis, and Inuit students and all other students is eliminated

Outcome Three: Alberta’s education system is inclusive

Outcome Four: Alberta has excellent teachers, school and school authority leaders

Outcome Five: The education system is well governed and managed

ANNUAL EDUCATION RESULTS REPORT

Annual Education Results Report analyzes how we achieved our goals and targets based on quantitative data including PAT, music theory and French tests, and qualitative data including community surveys, and Accountability Pillar surveys.

Sets targets, analyzes how well we met our targets annually, and what factors were involved.

Change Agency and Consultation

According to the dictionary, a change agent is someone who "alters human capability or organizational systems to achieve a higher degree of output or self-actualization." Evidence that our school creates a culture and atmosphere that fosters “change agency” is reflected in the culture of distributed leadership and number of successful research informed initiatives that have been infused into our program to support student learning success. We are an organization that continues to celebrate our current successes and at the same time consistently evolving the future vision with student success at its heart. We are driven with a passion for continuous improvement and clearly articulate plans to achieve measurable goals. We energetically strive to inspire this passion in others and encourage distributed leadership opportunities throughout the organization through embedding time to meet, sharing ideas and actioning plans. Change agency at Suzuki is all about building capacity from within and supporting implementation with resources, time and aligned shared understanding.

Background:

Our Annual Education Results Report analyses how we achieved our goals and targets based on quantitative data including PAT, Music and French tests, and qualitative data including Accountability Pillar surveys. We continue to set targets, analyze how well we met our targets annually and determine what factors were involved.

Process:

3 Year Education Planning Considerations align with Alberta Education Goals within the 3-Year Education Plan, Board Strategic Plan, Suzuki Charter School Vision and Mission, and Values reflecting the Suzuki Approach. It also reflects community consultation including the Board of Directors, School Council members, Staff members and feedback from our Student Representative Council.

Alignment with Alberta Education Goals

Suzuki Charter School takes government goals and priorities as described in the Alberta Education Business Plan and aligns our charter goals within their parameters. These government priorities include the following: (1) Every student is successful, (2) Alberta has quality teaching and school leadership, and (3) Success for First Nation, Metis and Inuit students, and (4) Alberta's education system is governed effectively. We then continue to support our community of parents, students and staff in utilizing the principles of the Suzuki Approach to implement and enrich the Alberta Program of Studies ie. early implementation of music, French language learning, and literacy skills.

Alignment with Board Vision, Mission, Goals, and Priorities

At Suzuki Charter School we define student achievement and success based on our Vision and Mission. The Board of Directors has involved the community of students, parents, and staff in redefining our vision and mission to more closely reflect our continued growth as an organization. As stated in our Vision, we believe that every child can achieve individual academic, personal and musical excellence. We also believe that the most effective way to facilitate this student achievement and success is through the implementation of the Suzuki Approach, based on the philosophy of Dr. Shinichi Suzuki where students, staff, parents, and partners work together to create a nurturing learning environment to support student mastery. Our Combined 3-Year Education Plan and Annual Education Results Report reflects this belief.

Role of Parents

Information and drafts of our Combined Three Year Education Plan and Annual Education Results Report are shared at Parent Council meetings. Parent Council has an important role in advising the Principal and Board of Directors on school improvement plans. Parents are surveyed throughout the year and invited to share their feedback regarding continuous improvement through many channels including:

Parent Council meetings

Board meetings

Community consultation opportunities

Accountability Pillar surveys

Role of Staff

Information and drafts of our Combined 3-Year Education Plan and Annual Education Results Report are shared at Staff meetings and Professional Learning Community meetings. Staff members are led through interactive workshop activities designed to explore focused discussion regarding student learning and achievement including areas of strength and areas for growth based on achievement results, Accountability Pillar surveys and their rich experiences.

Role of Students

Student voice is heard through many channels. Gr.4-6 students complete Accountability Pillar surveys in June including school climate and student engagement questions. Students are also engaged in leadership activities within the Student Representative Council where they celebrate successes and share areas for growth with teachers and administrators, to inform future planning considerations, speak to student engagement, and clarify survey results.